A 24-year-old small-scale miner, Richard Arthur, also known as Afianga, has been sentenced to two years in prison for setting fire to his stepfather’s mud house. The house, valued at GH¢20,000, along with belongings worth an additional GH¢50,000, was destroyed in the blaze.
Arthur, who was charged with causing unlawful damage, pleaded guilty to the offense and requested leniency from the court.
Chief Superintendent of Police Alex Odonkor, prosecuting the case, told the Tarkwa Circuit Court, presided over by Mrs. Hathia Ama Manu, that the complainant, Kojo Donkor, a farmer and Arthur’s stepfather, resided with him in Achiase, near Aboso in the Prestea Huni-Valley Municipality.
Donkor had married Arthur’s mother when Arthur was just four years old and had raised him since then. However, as Arthur grew older, he developed a drug habit, which led to erratic behavior and conflicts at home.
On September 5, 2024, Donkor purchased a bag of rice for Arthur’s younger siblings, only to later discover that Arthur had been stealing the rice and taking it to his mining site. When Donkor confronted him, Arthur became enraged, threatened his stepfather, and chased him into a nearby bush.
Two hours later, when Donkor returned home, he found that Arthur had set their single-room mud house on fire. The blaze destroyed several valuable items, including kente cloths, ecolac bags, a spraying machine, insecticide, cutlasses, a mattress, cooking utensils, and a wooden bed, totaling GH¢50,000 in damages.
Donkor reported the incident to the Wassa Aboso Police, and Arthur fled the scene. However, on September 30, 2024, Arthur was apprehended at a hideout in the Gangway community by a local youth, who then handed him over to the police.
During police questioning, Arthur confessed to the arson and demonstrated how he had started the fire. Following investigations, he was charged and sentenced to two years in prison.
